Calcutta

Three hundred years old, traces its history to the landing of Robert Clive on the banks of the Hooghly beside three villages. It was from here the monumental British Raj was launched in India. The capital of West Bengal, Calcutta is the major entry point. Calcutta was the first headquarters of the East India Company, and some of its best known monuments were built by this British trading house.

Grown from mangrove swamps, Calcutta is the largest metropolis in India. Calcutta's role in the national economy is of crucial importance as the Gateway to Eastern India. Ships were the beginning of Calcutta's history & the river Hoogly was the key to the city's fortunes.

Calcutta was the first headquarters of the East India Company, and some of its best known monuments were built by this British trading house. However, the city has, within its 300 years' history, hosted other communities both from other parts of India as well as abroad.

 General Information 

How to get there

Air
Calcutta is well connected with Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Port Blair, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, Patna, Lucknow, Tezpur, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Silchar, Imphal, Bagdogra, Agartala, Bangalore, Vishakhapatnam (Vizag), Guwahati, Dimapur, Hyderabad and Car-Nicobar.

Rail
Howrah and Sealdah, two main railway stations are there in Calcutta. Calcutta is connected by rail to most of the important places in India.

Road
Good motorable roads connect Calcutta to all the major cities in India.Some of these are: Puri-560 km, Bhubaneshwar-498 km, Darjiling-678 km, Patna-547 km, Varanasi-681 km Local Transport Metered Taxis, Cycle & Man-pulling rickshaws, city buses, Trams, Electric Trains & Metro rail services are available.

 In and around

Belur Math
It is the international headquarters of Ramkishna Mission. Founded in 1899 by Swami Vivekananda, disciple of the 19th century saint Sri Ramakrishna. The Belur Math shrine represents a church, mosque and temple when viewed from different angles.

Botanical Garden
Founded in 1787 by the East India Company, the main attraction of the 273 acre gardens being the Banyan tree (200 years old), largest in the world. Also rows of mahogany trees, an avenue of Royal Cuban palms and an Orchid House.

Dakshineshwar Temple
Near Belur Math on the other side of the Hooghly (Ganga) river, it is famous for its association with Ramakrishna who achieved spiritual vision here. the temple was built by Rani Rashmoni in 1847.

Howarh Bridge
A major landmark of the city. Over 2,590 metric tones of high tensile steel make up this unique cantilever bridge that joins the main Railway station and the industrial city of Howarh with the city of Calcutta. It was built in 1941 and opened in 1943 replacing a former pontoon bridge, it is today one of the busiest bridges in the world with 8 lanes for traffic.

St. Paul's Cathedral
It was consecrated in 1847. It is a tall white Gothic building with rows of fans hanging from a wooden ceiling, stalls and pews of heavy wood and a stained glass window by Burne Jones.

Victoria Memorial
The main building on the maidan, it is a massive domed building of white marble from Rajasthan. It was inaugurated in 1921 by the prince of Wales. A broad avenue sweeps to it and in the middle of the avenue, on a high marble pedestal is the imposing statue of queen Victoria.

Chowringee
It is Calcutta's famous promenade. Here can be seen palatial buildings and garden houses and pillard varandahs built during the Raj days.

National Library
On Belvedere Road, was once the winter Vice regal lodges, housed in a former vice regal lodge. It is the country largest national library and contains and excellent collection of over eight million books. 

Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture
On gol park, near the lake, is a branch of the Ramakrishna Mission of Belur Math. It has a school of languages, teaching Persian, Sanskrit, Bengali and Hindi.

Zoological Gardens
South of the Maidan lies the Zoological Garden amidst 16.5 hectors of well laid out park, was established in 1876. In winter time thousands of migratory birds from as far off as Siberia stay here on the lake. Big cats, Royal Bengal Tiger, White Tigers, Crossbred Lions are of special interest. 

Jain Temple In north Calcutta, is an ancient temple dedicated to Sheetal Nath Ji, the tenth of the 24th Jan Trithankaras (Jain Gurus).

Marble Palace
On Muklaram Babu lane, of Chitranjan avenue, situated in an artistically laid out gardens, has a rare collection of antiques.

Digha Beach
One of the finest beaches of India is at Digha. Very popular with Bengalis. Known for its flat hard golden beach, one of the world's safest for bathing. Surrounded by a host of beautiful fishing hamlets by the sea. About 200 years ago Lord Warren Hastings, the Governor General complemented Digha as a 'Sanatorium – the Brighton of the east'.

Chandannagar
A French establishment almost continuously from 1673 to 1952. Hardly anybody speaks French there now but a French atmosphere still persist along the shaded Quai Dupleix, now strand road, with its public benches exactly like those in Paris parks.

Diamond Harbour
Down the Hoogly from Calcutta, a natural harbour, is a former strong hold of the Portuguese pirates. Remains of their fort can still be seen along the river front. This small port was a Conradian flavour.

Tribani
It is a holy place at the confluence of two rivers, the Sarasvati and the Yamuna with the Ganga. Twice a year, at Dusshera and during the festival of Varuna, the god of water, pilgrims visit the little benimadhava temple complex and take a bath in the Ganga.

Malda
Formerly called English bazzar, a foreign settlement dating from 1680, where the Dutch, the front and then the East India company carried on trade.

Navadweep
North of Calcutta, also known as Nadia, is built on nine formerly distinct islands on the ganga, called Bhagirathi here. It was the capital of Bengal in the 11th and 12th centuaries and is among the holiest places in West Bengal.

Mayapur
The head quarters of the international society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). There is already a temple, a guest house, gardens with lotus shaped fountains, a museum in the house where the founder of the movement, Swami Prabhupada lived.

Murshidabad
North of the battlefield of Plassey, became the capital of Bengal in 1705. Centre of Bengal's silk industry and the residence of the erstwhile Nawab of Bengal.

Vishnupur
Famous for the exquisite 17th & 18th century terracotta temples, Seat of classical music. The Stylised, "Bankura horse" symbolic of excellence in rural handicrafts is native to this district.